I also think the combination of sleep deprivation and living in close quarters for years with several other people (an arrangement we call "family") drive people to emotional depths and heights they didn't know they had.

The idyllic picture of what family life could be (complete with picket fences and picnic baskets) slips away quickly as the sounds of malfunctioning dishwashers, endless repeats of Dora the Explorer, explosions on PS3, and voices on edge fill your home.

You wonder how you could have signed up for this.

Maybe you're in a tough season as a parent. You know the right thing to do but don't feel like doing it.

Been there.

There have been seasons in my life during which:

I didn't feel like I was in love anymore, but I didn't want to get a divorce.

I thought I didn't have the skills I needed to be an effective parent, but I certainly didn't want to leave my kids.

My relationship with God felt flat and even meaningless, even though I was a Christian (and in my case, a Pastor).